Hay Equipment Buying Guide

When it comes to hay, you can either purchase it for your farm or make it yourself. Some people may choose to buy it, but this can come at a high cost and makes your farming operation less independent. With a tractor and the right equipment, you can make your own hay relatively easier to increase your autonomy and reduce your spending.

High Plains Equipment, with locations in Devils Lake and Harvey, is your North Dakota hay equipment dealer. As such, we’ve provided this buying guide to help you find the hay equipment you need to get your blazing done.

1. Understanding Your Tractor

First, you’ll want to know what the specifications are on your tractor, such as its weight rating and its horsepower. Also, look up or measure how wide the tractor is to determine the correct attachment width. Your owner’s manual or the internet will readily provide these answers for you.

2. Select a Hay Mower

To make hay, you need a hay mower. Most models typically work with the three-point hitching system on your tractor. You can choose between drum, disc or sickle-bar mowers.

• Drum mowers are used very commonly in Europe, but are only starting to become more popular in the United States. These strong mowers are simple and have fewer parts, which can make them easier to maintain. If your tractor is not as powerful, a drum mower may be the best option. The cylindrical drums on these mowers are counter-rotating and have a disc of blades attached to the bottom.
• Disc mowers are a type of sickle-bar mower that has blades mounted on rotating discs atop the cutter bar. Gears inside the cutter bar drive the discs. Thick hay is easy to handle with a disc mower, and their cutting speeds are very fast. If you have a lightweight tractor or a model that doesn’t have hydraulics, this is a great choice.
• Sickle-bar mowers were the first type of hay mower created and they used to be horse-drawn through the fields. A series of triangular blades shift back and forth between guard fingers, shearing the grass between those fingers. Lightweight and easy to use, these mowers don’t use up much horsepower.

3. Selecting a Hay Tedder

Hay tedders spread the loose hay and turn it over after you apply it to the field. Spreading the hay lets it dry quickly. This piece of equipment can be 6’ to 20’ wide and can come in three-point hitch or tow-behind styles.

4. Choosing a Hay Rake

You have to rake your hay into windrows (long rows of dried hay) before you can bale it and that’s what a hay rake helps you to do. This equipment comes in several styles so you can choose the right model for your particular tractor.

Stop by one of our locations in Harvey or Devils Lake, ND, to check out our fine selection of new and used hay equipment for sale. We can even provide you with financing assistance if you so desire. High Plains Equipment proudly serves the cities of Minot and Grand Forks, ND.